Red Bluff Daily News

May 24, 2013

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6A Daily News – Friday, May 24, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Slough clean up day a success Editor: Tehama Action Team's East Sand Slough clean up was a complete success, because of key people who stepped up to the plate and took action. I would like to thank them for their contributions. First of all, key members of the Team, my husband Dave, who supports me in almost every way, always stands by me and decided it was time to take action in our community and redeem what we have lost; my daughters Brandy Massie, Teal Johnston and Teal's boyfriend Dallas Meyer, whose bright lights shined in dark places and showed what it means to work hard for their community, no matter how nasty the task; Ann Minch, whose support is invaluable to me, and whose fire and commitment to doing the right thing landed her on national news, when she went up against banking giant Bank of America and brought them down with her Youtube video. Mike Roberts, who owns Rockin' R Restaurant and has dealt with the brunt of the problems at the slough, who has let us meet in his restaurant, supplied coffee, leader- ship and muscle and actually saved my life at one point, another story; Kathy Hallernan, our official cheer leader, for her encouragement, time, donations and getting down and dirty in the slough. Kirsten Sanderson-Cornelius for helping me with research, red tape and support. Daily News columnist Richard Mazzuchi, who wrote a very nice column about us, whose support, knowledge and experience has really helped and a very special thank you to unofficial member Scott Vailette of Vailette Construction, who donated his time, money and equipment to scoop up tons of garbage, pollution, drugs, human waste and all disgusting things rotting in our slough, contaminating our groundwater, stinking up our community and making us to afraid to enjoy this magnificent piece of property, right in the middle of what used to be a spectacular town. There were many new faces helping from the homeless and inmates to the older couple, I met going to the restroom at Burger King, by the way thank you BK and Del Taco for welcoming us to invade your space. This couple was so excited and wanted to help. I wish I could remember there names, but they were over and into the reality of what Lake 80 and made it down that slippery Red Bluff has become, but I had hill just fine. Dave told me he other plans for them, as I trotted seen her scampering over riprap 5 them, well sort of lost them, on feet tall to get to trash. Thanks Spider Island trying to show Orval Strong, who brightened the them a place where the homeless could have a temporary path of trash with his site, out of public view, great smile and can do Your with water and portaattitude! potties, along the way Thank you County there was several more Administrative Officer toxic abandoned sites I Bill Goodwin and City had never seen before. Manager Richard Crabtree, who responded to my We finally found a homeless guy, constant whining about the con- who graciously guided us into dition of the slough by putting the right direction. We found the together the best meeting ever, site, but Bill and Richard wanted made up of qualified, concerned to go further. We found a couple agencies, who are stepping up to of springs and a little oasis. address these problems. One of Eventually, they found what those people was Planning Direc- could be a perfect spot to set up a tor Scott Timboe, whose vision of temporary camp. More on that a new city park, Dog Island and a later, running over words redeemed slough is inspiring, but already?but thank you Randy we need money. All three were Dueck of Supernatural Life patient with my constant phone Transitional Ranch for helping calls, questions and ideas, as I us to get to know the homeless sorted through the tremendous residing in the slough, Debbie amount of agencies, red tapes, Pomazal for donations, Raleys, landowners and permits involved for water and ice, Durango Park, in such an undertaking. They did CalTrans, Green Waste, Tehama County Landfill, Sheriff and Proit with patience and respect. I was also very impressed bation Departments, many other when Bill Goodwin and Richard agencies and if I missed anyone, Crabtree, with trash bag in hand, thank you. Pat Johnston, Red Bluff came down that slippery slope Turn Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 2868537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary All in the family "Sunnyside Farms" has a nice ring to it. The orange juice in your super market is supplied under that label. The label states it is "family owned." Is that reassuring or what? Western Real Estate is family owned. Does that make it more reliable than a competitor? The Chevron gas station on North Main has a sign proclaiming it is "American Owned." As opposed to "Un-American owned?" I don't think so. In any case I guess it is important to read the label when a product comes to you with such proclamation. Regarding the orange juice, I don't know where it was squeezed, but the carton reads "Distributed by Super Stores Industries in Lathrop, Ca 95330. Processed and packaged at location coded above." The ingredients include water and concentrated orange juice from U.S.A….or Brazil or Mexico. This "family owned" product ranges far and wide to please the user. Duly noted. *** S.F. Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll has collected poorly constructed and ill-considered newspaper headlines which inadvertently caused hilarity amongst readers. Such as, "These trees break wind," "Homicide victims rarely talk to police," "Homeless Survive Winter; Now what?" and he adds "Spring?" The subjects go on and on: "Bridges Help People Cross Rivers," "Man Accused of Killing Lawyer Receives a New Attorney," "Student excited dad got head job," "17 remain dead in morgue shooting," "Republicans turned off by size of Obama's package," to which Jon adds "this was entirely avoidable." Let's conclude with "Hospitals resort to hiring doctors." Oh, such laughing aloud we experienced. *** A. Krause has it on good authority that the people in Mexico loved mayonnaise made in England so much that a firm there ordered 12 thousand jars of the stuff, which was shipped on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. As the mayonnaise never made port, the citizens were so distraught they named the date of the sinking a national day of mourning and called it "Sinko de Mayo." Sorry. *** Some time back, M. Clancy wrote that she objected to my joke regarding a raven haired unwed mother who gave birth to a red haired baby. I thought it funny at the time, but certainly understand her reaction to this joke because the missus felt the same way...that the subject was no laughing matter and in poor taste. In this ica's economic woes stem from the Federal Reserves' profligacy and from FDR's instance, I regret the use of the joke taking us off the gold stanand the subject matter. This dard. He is quoted as saying, regret is not, however, a blan"The Fed's relentless camket endorsement of propriety. paign to keep interest rates That would make for a dull artificially low may have world. deferred a day of reckoning, *** but we cannot escape it forevOn today's date, in 1844, er!" And adds, "Investors Samuel Morse tapped out the should get out of the markets first telegraph message, and hide before the big crash "What hath God wrought?," comes." Does that fill you on his invention. Would you Robert with dread...or does the ever agree that we have made conhigher Dow Jones fill you siderable progress in the art of with confidence that the communication ever since? recession is over and bright Via cell, iPad or the telly, we days lie ahead? instantly know what is hapI don't own stock in the pening anywhere in the stock market, I don't gamble world. This is good, yes? in the casinos and don't buy lottery tickets. I fig*** I had the pleasure to notarize a signature this ure there is enough risk in being in business and week for 100-year-old Nellie Coffman. She is trying to determine what the government is the widow of the late attorney Rawlins Coff- going to do next rather than bet on other venman. In my day, he shared an office upstairs in tures. With this cautionary course I sleep better the old Crocker Bank — now US Bank — with at night. *** Curtis Wetter before Curtis became a Superior Courtesy of D. Rhinehart Court Judge. Nellie is amazingly spry and witty, An old man lay sprawled across three especially when you consider she has been entire seats in the theater. When the usher around since Hector was a pup. came by and noticed this, he whispered to the *** Last week's quiz was answered by a pletho- old man, "Sorry sir, but you're only allowed ra of readers, obviously too easy. But J. Hirsch one seat." The old man just groaned but didn't was first in with the answer that "success" budge. The usher became more impatient. comes before "work" in the dictionary, that "Sir, if you don't get up from there I'm going "short" becomes shorter by adding two let- to have to call the manager." Once again, the ters...and that the letter "M" appears only once old man just groaned. The usher left and in a "minute," twice in a "moment" and not at returned with the manager. They tried repeatedly to move the disheveled man, but with no all in "a hundred thousand years." To solve this week's tougher quiz, solve this success. Finally they summoned the police. The offirhyme: cer surveyed the situation briefly then asked, "I fly like a baseball, a wing'd heavy hitter. Change the first letter; I'm the pick of the lit- "All right buddy what's your name?" "Fred," the old man moaned. "Where ya from, Fred?" ter. asked the police officer. With terrible pain in his Do it again; I'm a rodent...no flattery. Now change my last, and you'll charge me voice, and without moving a muscle, Fred replied, "The balcony." with battery." And finally, which is the only letter in the Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of English language that cannot be rhymed? Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning *** David Stockman, once a member of the Rea- Daily Observer and Meat Industry gan Administration, has a new book titled "The magazine and author of the "The Knocking Great Deformation," and is proclaiming that the Pen." He can be reached at current bull market is a huge bubble, that Amer- rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say

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